World's No.1 Rafael Nadal captured the ATP Tour Comeback Player of the Year after pulling off perhaps the most amazing run from a player returning from a serious injury, the ATP Tour announced earlier this week to kick off their Tour Finals at the O2 Arena.
Awards and accolades kept on pouring in for Nadal this year following another successful round of tennis. The 27-year-old Mallorcan has already racked up 10 titles this year, including two Grand Slam titles at the French and U.S. Open Championships.
The win elevated Nadal as one of the few players to win every trophy in the player-voted categories after bagging the ATP Tour Newcomer of the Year in 2003, Most Improved Player of the Year in 2005, the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship award in 2010, and the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian award in 2011.
Inching Closer to Year-end World's no.1
Nadal opened his ATP Tour Final campaign on a winning note after dispatching David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday at the O2 Arena. The Spaniard avenged his loss to his compatriot in the semifinals of the Paris Masters this weekend, but more importantly, he's now on verge of sealing the No.1 ranking for 2013.
"They are never easy games against David Ferrer, the number three in the world," Nadal told BBC Sport. "He is great and having an amazing career."
"He played a lot better than me in Paris last week but today I played a little bit better than him and it's important for my confidence to start with a victory after Paris," he added.
With Tuesday's results, Nadal moved just a win away from locking up the world's No.1 ranking for 2013. However, his next opponent won't be any pushover as he faces Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka, who is also having a great year.
"There is no rest [for tomorrow] but the energy of this stadium is fantastic and hopefully I am ready for tomorrow against Stanislas Wawrinka," said Nadal.
Federer's Trifecta
Despite playing the most unproductive season of his career since he rose to the top of the ATP rankings, Federer still bagged three awards at the year-end showpiece.
Federer, who has been arguably the most endeared tennis player in the Tour, bagged the ATP Tour Fan Favorite Award for the 11th straight time along with the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship and Arthur Ashe Humanitarian awards.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
